Abdominal support.



J. WOODS.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT. I 'APPLICATION- FILED OCT. 24. 1916.

1,250,407. Patented Dec. 18,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET. 1.

J. WOODS.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT. APPLICATION man on. 24. l8l 6- 1,250,407. v v Patented Dec. 18,1917

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WOODS, OFI-IANKOWQ CHINA.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT.

; Specification of Iietters'iatent.

*Patented Dec. 18,1917,

. Application-filedoctober 24.1916. =Seria1 No. 127,406.

.or other -material ofalike nature which .owing to itsinflexibility isaliableto press -on-thebody and cause irritation; moreover therupture pads are aptato press uponthe affected part.either-.too little or .too :much and the band itself is liable to slip out '.of

.position with the..movements of the body;

.but. awith -my improved. form of abnominal :support .such disadvantages are effectively overcome.

,According to :my invention the support "consists of; abroad beltof "fabric such for example as drill or similar light material adapted'to be worn around thelhips and lower .part of the abdomen. This belt .is ifurnished with two -pockets'in theinside,

in'bothor eitheriof which the rupture pads .may be placed. and the pockets are arranged .to cover the afl'ected part or parts and-if desired may be made adjustableso as toper- :mit them to'beplaced in various positions :tovsuit the wearers requirements.

The front of the belt is made to lace up and ithis "laced portion preferably terminates at its lower end in a button. A further feature of theinvention consists .in ;the provision of suitable straps at the rear of the belt so that better adjustment can be effected.

The belt is secured to the wearer by means of a pair of straps so that it cannot slip out of position. These straps are adjustably secured to the front of the belt by means of suitable buckles and pass downward and inward toward the rear of the belt and are subsequently turned outward and their other ends secured to the sides of the belt in any convenient manner. Further these straps are supported from the bottom of the belt at a convenient distance therefrom by means of a strip or strips of fabric or other suitable material.

By this arrangement of strapping the abdominal :support .can .be adjusted around 'the body so-that 'the rupture pador pads press upon the-afi'ectedp art-with the desired degree of. pressure, the laced -and strapped port-ions ofthebelt canlbe tightenedtoethe wearer sicomfort over the breathingg p art -of the upper abdomen, and the support will be held'in one position with all the varyingmovements of the: body.

A pouch or suspensory :s'lingis provided upon F the 1' front of the abdominal support :andfiis intended" to: support: the testes inv the .caseio'fa very'low ruptureior hernia. The .pouch is attached -.to "the support Lby straps or tapes and 1 is preferably made so that fit can be x adjusted to :suit the wearer or can 5be--entirely removed asdesired. :It swill :be appreciated that 2 my improved i'abnominal supportoan be wornwvith' co r-nfort and good effect *n'ot only by persons suffering :from rupture zbut also by tlrose "who have to; stand long hours in their variousoccupationsand who are l1'able" 'toe.=stra1n in the abdominal regions.

In order that my invention mayzbe' more readily :understood, reference is 7 had "to the accompanying drawings wherein oneform of support isishown bywayofeexample "and in which Figure: lris ai front elevation EFig. 2 is ass'ide elevation; Fig. ":3 isra: rear view; and Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig.3 with a "portion: of the belt removed.

Referring 1 to the drawings the =Iabdoniirral supportcomprises a broad 'belt 'l of drill or iother suitable material adapted :to be worn around the hips and lower part of the ab- .domen. .Theibelt 1 i's -ma'defin two-"separate portions which are adjustably secured together at the front by a lace 2 passing through holes or eyelets 3 arranged near the forward extremities of the two portions. A button 4 arranged on overlapping members 5 and beneath the laced portion of the belt 1 helps to keep the same firm and tight across the affected part. The two portions forming the belt 1 are connected together at the rear of the support by straps 6 secured to the extremity of one portion and engaging buckles 7 connected by loops to a strengthening strip 8 upon the opposite portions. The portion of the belt to which the strengthening strip 8 is attached subsequently continues inward to form a tongue 9 which covers the gap behind the straps 6 (see Fig. 3). This arrangement permits of a better adjustment of the belt inasmuch as the rear straps 6 can be moved first to give a rough adjustment after which the lace 2 can be tightened according to the build of the person wearing the support and the pressure required.

The forward half of the belt 1 is reinforced near its lower edge by a strip 10 preferably of the same material as the belt, and upon this strip 10 is sewn a pair of loops 11 arranged one on each side of the button 4. These loops 11 receive the tapes of a pouch or suspensory sling 12 which may be of any well known form and which can be adjusted or entirely removed as desired. The primary object of this pouch 12 is to support the testes in the case of a very low rupture or hernia.

Below the laced portion of the belt is provided two depending portions 13 which are shown in the drawings to be made in one with the belt 1, and at the rear of these portions (inside the belt) are provided apair of pockets 14: which carry removable rupture pads 15. The pockets 14 are kept closed to prevent the pads 15 from slipping out, by buttons 16 sewn to the belt 1 and passing through button holes near the upper extremities of the pockets; thus by unfastening the buttons the pads can be readily removed if it is desired to wear the support without them.

In order to secure the support firmly upon the affected part without shifting during the various movements of the body, a pair of straps 17 are provided upon the belt 1, and are adjustably attached to the front of the belt by suitable buckles 18 connected by loops to the reinforced strip 10. These straps 17 are so arranged upon the front of the belt that they lie over the depending portions 13 and are maintained fiat thereon by studs 18 passing through one of a series of button holes 19 in the straps 17. The free ends of these straps pass beneath 100195 20 which keep them flat upon the belt 1. From the depending portions 13 the straps pass downward and inward toward the rear of the belt 1 as shown and subsequently turn outward and forward and their ends are permanently secured at 21 to the side of the belt. Each strap is further supported at a convenient distance from the lower edge of the belt 1 by strips 22 of cloth or other suitable material. By this arrangement the straps 17 embrace and lie fiat upon the thighs, when the support is placed around the body of the wearer, and do not chafe the flesh.

It will be understood that the hereinabove dispositions are given by way of example and the forms and dimensions can be varied according to the circumstances without departingfrom the principle of the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is In an abdominal support, a broad belt formed of two portions of fabric laced together at the front and provided with buckles and straps for connecting the two portions together at the rear, wherebya double adjustment is provided, a depending portion on each belt section at the front end thereof each provided with a stud at the lower end thereof, pockets sewed to the front inner portions of the belt sections, removable rupture pads for insertion in said pockets, a pair of straps for the belt, buckles and loops for the straps located on the front of the belt, said straps being secured at their ends to the sides of the belt and passing downward and inward toward the rear of the belt and then forward and outward and adjust-ably secured to the buckles and loops, and held positively in position by the studs at the lower end of the depending portions passing through holes in the straps, said straps being further attached to the belt portions intermediate the ends of said straps. JOSEPH WOODS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. O. 

